Back with the team he spent the first six seasons of his NFL career Pittsburgh Steelers veteran cornerback Cameron Sutton wouldn’t address anything but football Wednesday while meeting with the media. However, he’s grateful for the opportunity to be back with the Steelers and said he will attempt to put his “best foot forward” on and off the field.
Sutton, who signed with the Steelers Wednesday morning on a one-year, veteran minimum contract, was on the practice field for the ninth Organized Team Activities session at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side.
“It’s amazing to be back,” Sutton said to reporters afterward, according to video via the Tribune-Review’s Chris Adamski on Twitter.
Cam Sutton is back with the Steelers pic.twitter.com/Xe2UikhhrL
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) June 5, 2024
The possibility of a reunion with Sutton ramped up following the report of a meeting between Sutton, Steelers GM Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin a week before the draft in Pittsburgh. After the Steelers came away with Texas cornerback Ryan Watts in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and West Virginia cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. as an undrafted free agent, there was a still a major need at the position.
Things apparently intensified Wednesday, leading to a deal between Sutton and the Steelers. According to Sutton, the Steelers periodically checked in on him after his release from the Detroit Lions following his arrest warrant on domestic violence charges in Florida in mid-March.
“Just kind of early in the offseason, you know, taking one day at a time, seeing what’s next for myself,” Sutton said when asked when the discussions started with the Steelers. “Again, just letting the days playing out and obviously just having a great relationship with organization and coaches, them just checking in on my well-being to make sure I’m okay. And then, from a business standpoint, just seeing what the next opportunity will be and kind of we’re here now and I’m just ready to put my best foot forward.”
Sutton will need to put his best foot forward on and off the field. He is coming off a tough 2023 season in Detroit in the first year of a three-year, $33 million deal he signed with the Lions. Sutton played primarily on the outside in Detroit and struggled, though he did help the Lions reach the 2023 NFC Championship Game.
Off the field, Sutton remains in a troubling legal situation due to domestic violence charges in Florida stemming from the March incident.
An arrest warrant was issued in Hillsborough County, Florida, on March 20 for Sutton for domestic violence charges. He was wanted for domestic battery by strangulation charges. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office stated that it had been trying to contact Sutton for a few weeks at the time of the arrest warrant since the alleged March 7 incident but had not been able to locate him.
Sutton turned himself into police on March 31 and was booked on one misdemeanor count of domestic battery before being released. The charge was reduced from a felony, and according to Detroit Free Press reporter Dave Birkett, Sutton was “released on his own recognizance” from jail.
According to Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud, Hillsborough County deputies found a “battered” woman at Sutton’s home. Sutton allegedly left the scene and shut his phone off. Sutton then turned himself in on March 31 and was released from jail later that day.
He put out a statement through his attorney asking for privacy for him and his family on the matter and shortly afterwards entered a pre-trial diversion program, according to NBC Sports.
